Explosive mixture



' UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFHCE.

ROY LINDEN HILL, OF TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

No Drawing. Original application filed August 30, 1918, Serial No. 252,029. Divided and this application filed July 25, 1919, Serial No. 313,249. Renewed October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,674.

' a specification.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial Number 252,029,

filed Aug. 30, 1918, and is filed to claim specifically certain of the ingredients used in my new explosive mixture. As is clearly disclosed in my copending application aforesaid my composition as a whole consists pri cipally of the followin ingredients co bined substantially in the following proportions: Ammonium perchlorate waterproofed or otherwise) 45 to Nitro-starch 35t0 4e5% Compounds or mixtures of compounds containing a metal or metals which will readily combine with chlorin 0 to 10% An oil or other liquid to prevent dustiness 0 to 5% Ammonium perchlorate contains an excess of oxygen over that needed theoretlcally for its combustion of about twenty-sevenper cent; further, in nitro-starch there is not enough oxygen for complete combustion, the deficiency varying inversely with the extent to which the starch has been nitrated. The two substances, properly combined, will in themselves make a mixture of very high explosive force. However, such a mixture alone would develop, on detonation, chlorin and hydrochloric acid which would be objectionable except in very openwork. I propose to remedy this condition by the well vknown method of adding a compound or mixture of compounds of a metal or metals which will readily combine with chlorin. For this I have used such substances as sodium nitrate and manganese dioxid, but I do not limit myself to .these two compounds.

Suchsubstances have been used before with chlorin-containing explosive mixtures but Nitrated solvent naphtha never, so far as I know, in combination with -nitro-starch and ammonium perchlorate.

That my explosive may not be so dry and dusty as to oifer difficulties in mixing, packl ng, using and the like, I propose to mix with 1t some oil or other li uid. I have used for this purpose castor Oll, coal tar distillates.

and liquid nitro-aromatic compounds, such as nitrated solvent naphtha, but I do not limit myself to these substances.

The ingredients of my explosive may be prepared and mixed in any of the wellbeen made or proposed have the objection of low sensitiveness with the tendency to become very insensitive in keeping or aglng. To ehmmate th1s tenden'cy sevknown ways, including their Water-prooferal methods have been suggested by others,

for instance, the use of metallic powders, .especially aluminum and zinc dust but there is a question as to the safety of .t is.

My explosive offers the advantage of relatively high sensitiveness, of very high explosive strength, of controllable density, and ease of mixin r I put especial stress on the high explosive strength of my non-freezin mixture, since I can obtain over weig t strength and over 70% bulk, compared with so-called straight nitro-glycerin explosives.

In order that anyone familiar with the manufacture of explosives may understand how my new explosive mixture may be made up, I will give the composition of a mixture which has given excellent results on tests.

Ammonium perchlorate 50% Nitro-starch 40% Sodium nitrate, coated with one per cent. of petrolatum 0 It should be understood that this example is for illustrative purposes merely, and that my invention is not limited to this one exact mixture.

I have found that other proportions of ammonium perchlorate and mtro-starch may be used, and that manyother substances may be added, either to decrease the explosive sired densities, orfto obtain varied rates of strength of the mixture where a lower strength explosive is desired, to obtain dedetonation, or varied sensitiveness, or for other purposes.

In such mixtures, 111 combination wlth the ammonium perchlorate and nitro-starchf in.

varying proportions, I have used such substances as dinitrotoluene, trinitrotoluene,.

' sion, I haveused compounds or mixtures of com ounds of a metal or metals which will rea 11y combine with chlorm, wluch-arenot new with explosive 'mixtures containing chlorates or perchlorates, but which to my knowledge have never been used ordescribed in comblnatlon with mlxtures contalnmg essentially ammonium perchlorate and n trostarch.

. ent.

2. A new and useful explosive mixture Another mixture that I have found to give excellent results is as follows:

Ammonium perchlorate 36% Nitro-starch 32% Manganese dioxid 6% Sodium nitrate 20% Sulfur -i 4% Nitrated solvent naphtha 2% Having thus clearly set forth the essential features of my invention and shown'by example how it may be applied, I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent based on this particular divisional application:

1. Thevnew and useful explosive mixture,

consisting of ammonium perchlorate and nitro-starch, together with a diluent ingrediconsisting of ammonium perchlorate and nitro-starch, together with diluents'and a compound of a metal which will unite with chlorin.

.In testimony whereof I affix my signature in thepresence of two witnesses,

ROY LIN EN' HILL.

Witnesses I Y o R. M. Coox, C. D. Pm'rr. 

